


Love Song Requiem

by IllusionEvenstar



Category: Un monstre à Paris | A Monster in Paris (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Affection, F/M, M/M, Non-human, Original Character-centric, Requited Unrequited Love, Unrequited Love, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 17:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12370617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllusionEvenstar/pseuds/IllusionEvenstar
Summary: There's a rumour going on in Paris, that there is a monster roaming around. But what they don't know is that there is not one, but two.





	Love Song Requiem

**Author's Note:**

> A song fic I wrote in 2011 based on the song of the same name by the band Trading Yesterday, and a scrapped comic I did based on Francœur and Chaos, an OC belonging to a fellow DeviantArt artist ShadowLillium here: https://illusionevenstar.deviantart.com/art/AMIP-Love-Song-Requiem-264851984
> 
> P/S: The French lines there are actually the French version of the lyrics that I ran through Google Translate. The ones written in normal font is Franc's POV, the one written in bold is Chaos' POV and the bold italic is both Franc and Chaos' POV

 

_Emily se trouver un meilleur endroit pour s'endormir_

**We were friends longer than we can remember. We lived at opposite ends; he lived on the shoulder blade area, I was near the rump. But everyday, when the sun rises and seeps through the monkey’s hair, we would meet, and we would do everything together. We were inseparable. That’s how it was between us. And we were content.**

_Elle appartient aux contes de fées que je ne pourrait jamais être_

The first thing I saw of myself was hands, hands that only humans would have, not for a flea. In the midst of cloud and smoke and loud exclamation, I saw myself standing on my hind legs, looking at the oddity that was myself before me. Small head, broad shoulders, four hands and two feet. A face…a face! With features of man! And when I turned around, there was our host monkey and the old human who used to pet and talk gibberish to him standing there looking at us with an expression I did not recognize. I was terrified. I was trembling in horror at what have I turned into. Who am I? What am I? What have I become?

Before I could scream into a frenzy, a hand that was similar to my own held mine. I looked up to see a creature who was of the same oddity as I was. Almost the same features, but still slightly different in a sense. I didn’t know who he was at first, but a gentle chirp “Brethren?” that escaped his lips told me who he actually was. And for now, I felt safe.

_La hante l'avenir avec des souvenirs que je n'aurais jamais pu_

**The old professor came over again. He said he brought us our food and that he was not going to hurt us and hope that we would be friends. I didn’t give him the chance. I growled at him to drop the dead felines and canines he collected at our feet and leave, holding my brethren close and brandishing the tiny knife I managed to snag the day my brethren and I had turned into his accidental abominations. I dared him to come closer. He did not. He just tried to calm me while putting the food down and backed away carefully. I kept my eyes on him long enough until I could no longer see him before I picked up the canines and felines and divided it between us.**

**My brethren asked when will it be that we would return to normal and be back to our old home. I could not answer that. I don’t even know if the professor had any intention of turning us back the way we were. To be honest, I don’t even trust him with manhandling us. No filthy human was ever going to touch my brethren. He’s all I have in this fucked up world. And I will protect him with everything I’ve got.**

_Et l'espoir est juste un étranger, se demandant comment il allait si mal_

The old man had not returned for several weeks now. He had left our host monkey in charge of the lab, but our host monkey did not dare to try and approach us. He just brought our food religiously and was content with keeping his distance from us. Which was fine, because I honestly cannot cope with any being other than my brethren. He’s all I’ve got right now, and he’s the only thing that made sense to this surreal reality.

So when he heard unfamiliar noises approaching the greenhouse we reside in, I tried my best to keep up with my brethren when we made ourselves scarce. I tried to run as fast as he could, but I’m still trying to get used to walking on hind legs. I tripped and fell, and my brethren was far ahead of me. He tried to come back to me, but the sound of my fall caught the intruders’ attention. I locked eyes with a dwarfish human who returned his gaze with the look of horror, and when a tall, lanky human barged in asking his friend what was wrong, I panicked. I leapt upwards, crashing through the glass roof and out into the open. I shouldn’t have done that. I never should’ve done that. I am leaving my brethren behind in the mercy of those humans, but I didn’t dare to go back to check on him. And I felt terrible for that.

\--

_Je meurs chaque fois que vous regarder loin_

**I searched high and low for my brethren. The moment the two pesky humans who scared him had left, I quickly leapt out the same way he did and looked for him through every nook and cranny. I peeked through an old human female’s window, scaring the hell out of her in the process, and more or less horrified another younger human female into unconsciousness at an alley. It was to be expected. If the old professor could be terrified by our looks, it’s no surprise that other humans suffer such affliction too. But that wasn’t important. If I have to scare a few humans into submission to locate my brethren, so be it.**

**Imagine my shock when I found him, in tattered human clothes, sitting crouched in a tiny alley right in front of a building called L'oiseau Rare. Unlike my brethren who is perfectly fine with staying in his little world, I took the trouble to learn and study the culture of humankind, which includes learning their language. The old professor doesn’t know I have learnt human speech (and I don’t intend to let him know), and my brethren seemed to have lack the vocal means to be able to communicate in human speech; he would be torn apart by the humans without hesitation. But as I was about to go there to take him, a young female came out. She looked hesitant at first, almost afraid, but she approached him anyway, holding out an umbrella. She asked if he had a name, but he could not reply, nor is there any human language to describe our names. She then invited him to follow her, to enter her home. I wanted to stop him, to run there to grab him and drag him away from this treacherous human, but he got up hesitantly, his eyes filled with the same trust he had with me and followed her inside. I didn’t know what possessed me to hide out of sight when she stuck her head out to check if no one was looking, but I did, and I regretted that action that very night.**

_Mon cœur, ma vie, ne sera jamais le meme_

The human lady was kind. She asked me for a name, but I couldn’t tell her, because I cannot speak. My vocals were more primitive than my brethren’s. She took me in, gave me a warm bath and told me her name was Lucille. She gave me a name ‘Francoeur’, because she found me on the street with the same name. It was a nice name; it had a nice ring to it. The old man never gave us a name. He just called us ‘Subject A’ and ‘Subject B’. She gave me some food to eat, and even though it tasted bland and foreign, it was only nice to accept them, and I was hungry anyway. I didn’t want to be clothed at first—I have no need to—but I’m glad I indulged her, because whatever she made me wear gave me a sense of security. A sense of belonging. A sense of…humanity. She said that wearing clothes will keep people from finding out how I really look, because most people are not as understanding as she was. In a way, she was right. I admit that I am frightening to people, even to the old human and our host monkey. If donning these clothes would help protect me from the dangers ahead, then it is wise to do so. Besides, she said I look sharp in it. And I agree.

_Cet amour va prendre mon tout_

**I could not believe my eyes when I saw what the female was doing to my brethren. She bathed him in a tub that would surely drown him, fed him with human food that was not meant for our stomachs and clothed him unnecessarily, and even gave him a name. ‘Francoeur’. It means ‘honest heart’. While the name suited him very well, the getup did not. She was trying to make him human! One of them! The very species I have been tried to protect my young brethren from! He is not human! He is a flea, and should be proud of it, but he threw that pride away for a mere human female! Does he not remember me anymore? Does he not think of me anymore? Am I so easily forgotten? Were years of being together so easily wiped away by a mere few hours with a species that barely understands us? I will rescue you from her grasp, Francoeur, and take you home where you truly belong.**

_Un souffle, une seule touche, ce sera la fin de moi_

Lucille taught me how to use the guitar, and I suddenly discovered that while I cannot talk, my vocal capacity is able to vibrate in such a way that I can imitate song and music. She even taught me how to sing, and I feel almost connected to her in a way. Though there were still barriers as to how I should communicate with her, I think the human term ‘action speaks louder than words’ sorta apply here. She told me the guitar belonged to her father, who was a traveling musician, and told me that her mother had ran off to America to marry some rich human male and left her behind with her father, and when her father died from pneumonia, her aunt and uncle were kind enough to take her in. I cannot believe how a mother would abandon such a beautiful creature like her and how delicate and fragile being like her was able to endure such a tragic life and maintain that angelic smile. I suppose that her divine demeanour could be the reason why she was able to look past my monstrosity and see me as…well, me. The only other person who sees me that way is my brethren, but it seems that he didn’t manage to leave the greenhouse. What have the two humans done to him, I wonder. Did they hurt him? No, he would be able to hold his own. I bet he was able to hide from them. He was so good at hiding. As much as I like my new home, I miss my brethren, and I do wish he’s OK.

\--

_Vous pourriez être la goutte d'eau qui me ramène à la terre_

**Rumours of a monster in Paris spread across town. To think that my innocent acts of searching for my brethren caused such a destructive sensation throughout humankind. Such is a nature of humans. They fear things they don’t understand. There is a human law enforcer who seemed to have taken interest in my case, but he would never suspect it was me. No, he didn’t even realize that I was walking just right by him in plain sight, although these much abhorred human clothing served their purpose well to shield me from detection. I still remain within the vicinity of L'oiseau Rare, watching, learning, waiting for the opportune moment where I can take Francoeur from harm’s way. I watched him as he went on stage with that female human named Lucille, acting as if he was part of humanity and entertaining them like some circus freak. I will admit that his voice was surprisingly beautiful to the ears, but this was not where he should belong. He belongs with me, with his kind! Not this joke of a life where he had to wear a mask to conceal his true self from the world and with a woman that insist it is for his safety when she was just ashamed to be around in public without the mask! And I worry that he may get in trouble with the human law enforcer they call ‘Prefet Maynott’, because he had the same eyes towards Lucille as I have towards Francoeur.**

_Aéroports toujours en attente pleine de l'amour que vous méritez_

I met the two humans again that I’ve seen at the greenhouse when we went backstage after another successful performance. Lucille introduced them as Raoul (the tall lanky human) and Emile (the dwarfish human), her somewhat childhood friends she knew since she was just a hatchling. We shook hands, but I forgot that I did not have my other hand in the sleeves and gloves and instinctively shook both their hands at the same time. They were shocked, as expected, and told Lucille that I was the monster every human in Paris was talking about. Have I been spotted by other humans and have scared them when I was escaping the greenhouse? How can I be so careless? Now Lucille will be in danger and it’s all my fault.

But I was surprised when Lucille slapped both Raoul and Emile, defending me and insisting to them that I was not a monster. Only my brethren had ever defended me, but here stood a human female who defended me and protected me from the dangers of humanity’s prejudice. Does that mean she…? No, I cannot bring myself to think such a thing. She could never…with a creature like me…but she said I was not a monster…does that mean…I have a chance…? And maybe even…something more…?

_J'ai Souhaitant pourrait trouver un moyen de laver le passé_

**After weeks of watching and waiting, finally that Lucille and her family were called out for a social dinner to Prefet Maynott’s mansion. Francoeur had to be left at home because she thinks he is not ready to be in an actual social crowd yet. I, for once, agree with her. He couldn’t even talk to her, let alone a herd of humans before him. I took that opportune moment to leap into his room, surprising him with my wellbeing and shared a heartfelt reunion. I told him that I took on the name ‘Chaos’ because of the chaos I created due to my search for him, and begged him to come with me, to go home or run away, anywhere but here.**

**Nothing prepared me for what I had to hear from my brethren tonight. Not only did he tell me that he do not wish to leave, but also he told me the reason he didn’t want to leave was because he had fallen for the human female. I was naturally furious. I told him that humans are not capable of loving monsters like us, that they would never see us anymore than just an abomination that should not exist. Has he not learnt that harsh lesson when we were with the old professor or when the two human males found us? I told him that there is no way Lucille would ever love him back, that only I…I bit back those last words. It felt so wrong to utter it. To have such feelings for a brethren, a member of the same gender…? No, this was just my over-protectiveness talking. I changed the subject by saying that only I can understand him, that only I can truly see him as he really is, but he was adamant. He said Lucille defended him, she said he was not a monster, and he believe he could have a future with her, and that even if he didn’t, he was content to live within humanity and be by his saviour’s side for the rest of his life.**

**That night, my heart broke, and I had never felt more betrayed as I left his room, shedding my first tears in years.**

_Sachant que mon cœur se brise, mais au moins la douleur va durer_

Lucille read to me tonight before bed. I always love the human stories she reads, especially the story Belle et la Bête where the Beast turns into human and gets Beauty. It was a wonderful story that filled me with hope, hope that Lucille and I would be together just as the Beast did with Beauty, even though Lucille reminded me that this was fiction, not real. It did not hurt to dream now, did it? But what if Chaos, my brethren, was right? What if she cannot love me the way I have hoped for? What if her heart actually belonged to that childhood friend of hers, that Raoul? The way she talked to him, even though there were annoyances in between, seemed to show a little hint of fondness between each other, like a love-hate relationship. Even if she did not love Raoul, what if she could not bring herself to love me, like what Chaos said? What if…No, no, I must not think such negative thoughts. I would be just playing into Chaos’ hands. I have to prove to him that I can make my own decisions, that I can protect myself now and learn to be strong just like him. Even if the possibility is small, it is still there for me to believe that we may have a future together. Even if only as friends, it would be alright for me. And I’m sure of it.

\--

_Je meurs chaque fois que vous regarder loin_

**I did not know why I did not leave. After what Francoeur had said to me, I should be running off, disappearing into the night, leaving him to his own devices and let him learn how it feels like to disbelieve me. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t leave him alone. So I stayed. I continued to fuel humanity’s fear of Le Monstre, leaving dead canines and felines in my wake and maybe nip the occasional human if my hunger was too much to bear, and that Prefet Maynott continues to raise his suspicious eyes at Francoeur, who seems to be intent to want to have an in-depth conversation (more like interrogation) with him, but continuously rejected by Lucille with some flimsy excuse only humans would believe. Did I do this to spite him? To bully him into submission? To force him to return to me? I don’t know.**

**All I know is that when I enter the cabaret to check on him, it somehow made my heart skip a beat when he seemed to be looking my way as he sang, as if he was singing it to me, but yet seeing him having so much fun with the human female, that smile he had that used to be reserved for my eyes only, made my heart go sour with jealousy, which motivated me into venting out my frustrations by scaring the living daylights out of the humans. Do I really have feelings for my own brethren? Am I really falling in love with him? Or is it the years of being together both as a small flea and a big monster to the point of inseparable clouded my emotions? It was a deadlock, and I know that one day, Francoeur would pay the price for my actions.**

_Mon cœur, ma vie, ne sera jamais le meme_

That old family friend Prefet Maynott was getting more and more suspicious of me. This morning, he almost forced his way on Lucille and barged into the cabaret looking for me because he thinks I am Chaos, the monster that terrorized Paris. If it weren’t for Raoul and Emile who brought me out of the cabaret through the backdoor and hid me in their car, he would’ve found me. I’m sure Chaos didn’t mean any harm. I’m sure they’ve mistaken his actions as being monstrous and dangerous, but why me? Could he not tell that when the incidents happen I was with Lucille all the time? Could he not notice that when those things happen I was on stage performing or in the music room practicing with Lucille? Could he not deduce that when Chaos was around, I was with Raoul watching him fail another invention or eating popcorn with Emile while watching his favourite movie flick? Why could he not think of other people besides me? I cannot help but feel that the Prefet was jealous of me being with Lucille, and he would stop at nothing to expose me for something I didn’t do.

_Cet amour va prendre mon tout_

**My worries came true. Prefet Maynott had started to target Francoeur, and he had to be on the run. I have to admire the three humans Raoul, Emile and Lucille who went out of their way to protect him. Of course, pride kept me from showing up to help my brethren, but that doesn’t mean I cannot help him in the sidelines. With clues that only we both nurtured and understand during our flea years on our host monkey, I left a trail for him to follow so that he could escape and evade the Prefet safely. The Prefet was chasing them around like mad as hell, and I was right when I thought that he had the same eyes he had for Lucille as I had for Francoeur, because when he used that blimp (where I was hiding on top of) to grab Raoul’s car and hovered above La Siene and threatened to shoot Francoeur and take him with him dead or alive, we could both hear him hiss in that jilted tone, saying that Lucille should’ve been his and he had ruined it, both Raoul and Francoeur, and if he couldn’t have her, no one will. I had to do something to stop him, or at least stall him. I punctured the blimp with my teeth and claws, and hope for the best.**

_Un souffle, une seule touche, ce sera la fin de moi_

The Prefet was dead. Somehow the blimp burst and when he was distracted by the noise, we went for the gun, trying to wrestle it out of him. The blimp went crashing against the Eiffel Tower and we both ended up clinging for dear life on the scaffolding while Raoul and I had a face-off with the Prefet. The fight was long and arduous, and we had a few close calls in between, but in the end, when it came down to it, I wasn’t really much of a killer. When the Prefet lost his footing and fell back, I grabbed him and tried to pull him up to safety, but he screamed “Don’t touch me, you monster!” and stabbed my hand with his tiny pocket knife and forced me to let him fall to his doom. No one could survive that, not even me.

As we clung to the scaffolding and breathed a sigh of relief, I turned to see Lucille crawling hurriedly to Raoul and hugging him, crying happy tears, saying how glad she was that he was alright. I watched in horror as she planted those lips on Raoul’s, kissing him deeply like in the stories where the heroine would kiss the hero and proclaimed her love to him, just as she did now, saying that she had always loved him as a child and that had never changed. She did not love me. She could not love me. She never loved me. And I am better off alone.

\--

_Emily se trouver un meilleur endroit pour s'endormir_

I am standing before La Siene under the pouring rain, slowly removing the ridiculous clothing that hid away what I truly am: a monster. They must be looking for me right now, but I couldn’t care less anymore. I crept down the tower and leapt away from the scene as quietly as I could after what I saw. Lucille has her own happy ending, and it did not include me. I realized that I was no longer in Belle et la Bête, but in Le Bossu de Notre-Dame where the hunchback did not get the girl, not even in death. From that moment I realized that even though I told myself that I would be fine if Lucille did not return my feelings, I could never endure the pain of watching her in his arms, getting married, having a family, growing old together for the rest of my life. I couldn’t. I was lying to myself, and I lied hard and deep, to the point that the truth hurts me the worst when it broke through the lies. I am neither man nor flea. I am an existence that shouldn’t have been, and I shall correct that error…

_Peut-être qu'elle va me sauver dans les océans de son rêve_

**I saw Francoeur at the edge of La Siene, preparing to jump. I realized he was gone when I got off the blimp to find that he was not there with his human companions. One look at Lucille in Raoul’s embrace, I pretty much have guessed what had happened. He needs me the most now, and there he was trying to off himself. No, I cannot allow it! Not after all these years of being together as brethren and all those days of protecting you in my arms and all these months watching over you in the sidelines to make sure you are safe! I cannot allow you to be lost to La Siene! I jumped after him, both of us hitting the water. I swam as fast as I could towards him, wrapping my arms around him and dragged him back up to shore. I shook him awake, trying to get him to return to me. That female is not worth dying for, I said. I will not let you leave me alone, not after all these time! I cannot lose you! I love you, Francoeur! I love you! Please don’t leave me again…**

_Et peut-être un jour l'amour_

I opened my eyes slowly. Why am I not dead? Why am I not consumed by the depths of La Siene? Why do I still feel the rain pouring down on my face? I looked up to see that it was Chaos. Chaos? Are you crying? What did you say? You love me? Yes…it all made sense now. Our years together on our host monkey, our days together in the greenhouse as giant fleas, our estranged weeks where you came back for me but I rejected, the clues you left behind for me to follow to escape…How could I have been so blind…? How could I have searched for a love that was not meant to be when the one who truly loves me was right here before me? Please hold me…Please love me…Please love me more than I could ever want or need…Please don’t leave me…

_Peut-être qu'un jour l'amour_

**_We have each other now. And we love each other. And we are content._ **

****

**FIN**


End file.
